HCFCD releases online flood education mapping tool

Are you in a floodplain?

Jay Blazek Crossley, Oct 11, 11.

Harris county residents and others can now look at an interactive online map to understand what areas are in floodplains and floodways, with a new online flood education mapping tool published by the Harris County Flood Control District, according to Guidry News. The map builds upon the previous TSARP online mapping tool, as noted by Guidry News:

“Information about TSARP, as well as the original interactive mapping tool, was located on a dedicated website (http://www.tsarp.org) for many years,” said Heather Saucier, Harris County Flood Control District spokeswoman. “Harris County residents used the mapping tool to learn the location of their structures in relation to the mapped 1 percent (100‐year), 0.2 percent (500‐year) and coastal floodplains. Having recently marked the 10‐year anniversary of Tropical Storm Allison, the Flood Control District is launching a mapping tool with an updated look and new features. The TSARP website served a valuable purpose for a decade and has been retired with the launch of the Flood Education Mapping Tool.”

Some of the prominent new features of the Flood Education Mapping Tool include:
Regular updates to mapped floodplains in Harris County as they are revised by FEMA
An interactive legend with pop‐up “tool tips” that help users get the most of out of each legend item
Easy map navigation
Known ponding areas where stormwater typically collects when rainfall exceeds the capacity of a street’s drainage system or the land’s ability to drain
The Flood Education Mapping Tool also includes a glossary and frequently‐asked questions that generally address topics about flooding risks, floodplains and flood insurance. The new site also contains updated information about TSARP.

It is important to note that the Flood Education Mapping Tool is for informative and educational use and not for official purposes such as providing an official floodplain determination. While the floodplains shown on the mapping tool are the floodplains delineated on FEMA’s effective FIRM for Harris County, the mapping tool is not the effective FIRM. Residents are urged to visit FEMA’s Map Service Center at http://www.msc.fema.gov or call 1‐877‐FEMA‐MAP (1‐877‐336‐2627) to obtain the effective FIRM for Harris County.